This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The five-figure pitching assets on Thursday's slate all have some difficulty in their matchups, which has encouraged me to recommend two under-the-radar plays. The salary relief should allow players to take aim at a couple of weak hurlers facing tough lineups.
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Pitcher
German Marquez, COL at SD ($8,500): Marquez has firmly planted himself on the radar of DFS players by putting up at least 20 DraftKings points in six straight starts. The 23-year-old has had his problems at Coors Field but has been lights out on the road, surrendering just a .261 wOBA in 81 innings with a 25.7 percent strikeout rate. Meanwhile, the Padres hold the second lowest wOBA against right-handed pitching this season to go along with a 26 percent punchout rate.
Cheap GPP Consideration, John Gant, STL vs. PIT ($6,800): Gant has done his best work at home this season, as evidenced by the 3.35 ERA and .259 wOBA he has allowed in 43 innings. It is also worth noting that the Pirates are a bottom-10 team when it comes to RAA against the fastball, while Gant's heater has yielded 8.6 RAA in 20 games (13 starts).
GPP Fade, Robbie Ray, ARI at LAD ($8,000): Ray's big strikeout rate would likely get him labeled as a GPP play by some but he has played much better as a cash option lately due to his inefficiency. The 26-year-old has pitched more than 5.1 innings just once in his last 10 starts, making it difficult to trust him to put up big points. Ray carries a 3.05 ERA on the road but the Dodgers boast a 10.4 percent walk rate against lefty pitchers, which won't do anything to help the 48 free passes he has allowed in 85.2 innings this year.
Catcher
Omar Narvaez, CWS vs. BOS ($3,500): The power has come in spurts for Narvaez but he has been a consistent producer against right-handed pitching throughout the course of the season, notching a .366 wOBA in 190 at-bats. Opposing starter Rick Porcello has found his strikeout pitch in August but the 4.47 xFIP he has logged in 32 innings is the highest such mark he has produced in a calendar month this year.
First Base
Tyler White, HOU vs. LAA ($4,600): White has responded extremely well to regular playing time, having notched a .382 ISO and a .454 wOBA in 76 at-bats this month. Andrew Heaney has had trouble keeping right-handed hitters in the park for most of the season, as evidenced by the 19 homers he has surrendered in 111.2 frames.
Second Base
Gleyber Torres, NYY vs. DET ($4,800): Torres has done well against his opposite hand this season, logging a .283 ISO and a .376 wOBA against southpaws in 92 at-bats. He should carry another advantage into the contest against Francisco Liriano, as he has notched an 8.8 RAA against the fastball this year, while Liriano's heater has registered a -17.2 RAA in 102.2 innings.
Third Base
Justin Turner, LAD vs. ARI ($4,900): Turner has torn the cover off the ball against lefties in 2018, tallying a .241 ISO and a .449 wOBA in 83 at-bats. Ray may be sharper on the road than he is at home but has still allowed a .460 slugging percentage to right-handed hitters in 62 total innings this season.
Shortstop
Johan Camargo, ATL vs. CHC ($3,900): Camargo is another hitter who has shined against southpaws in 2018, as his .268 ISO is more than 100 points higher than his mark against right-handed hurlers. Montgomery has thrown the ball well in general this year but has struck out just 39 righty hitters in 70.1 frames, which has contributed to a 4.58 xFIP over that span.
Outfield
Mitch Haniger, SEA at OAK ($4,500): Haniger has kept a reverse split in 2018, notching a .229 ISO and .367 wOBA against right-handed pitchers in 341 at-bats. He has also logged a hefty 14.2 RAA against the fastball, which should come in handy against opposing starter Frankie Montas, who has registered a -4.6 RAA with the pitch in 57.2 innings.
Jackie Bradley Jr., BOS at CWS ($4,000): It's difficult to find any reasonably priced hitters against Lucas Giolito but Bradley falls into that category, as he has logged a .228 ISO to go along with a .370 wOBA in 79 at-bats this month. Giolito has been ravaged at home this season, as we can see from the 8.18 ERA he has put up in 58.1 innings.
Marwin Gonzalez, HOU vs. LAA ($4,100): Gonzalez should be considered something of a value play against Heaney due to the whopping .330 ISO he has produced in 91 August at-bats. Heaney was lit up for five runs (two homers) in six innings against the Astros last week.
